Education & Professional Experiences

Education

2018

2014

2012

2008

Ph.D. in Geochemistry - Medical Application; with jury's congratulations

ENS Lyon, France in collaboration with EPFL Lausanne, Switzerland
Thesis Title: Ageing and neurodegenerative diseases: New constraints from the metallomic
Thesis Advisor: Dr. Vincent Balter

M.Sc. in Earth Sciences and Environment; with honors (5/57)

University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France

B.Sc. in Earth Sciences and Environment; with honors (1/59)

University Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France

French High-School Diploma - speciality physics/chemistry; with first-class distinction

High school Albert Triboulet, Romans-sur-Isère, France

Former & Current Professional Experiences

Licence Project (3rd year) (May 2012 - June 2012)

Title: Pb-Sr isotopic compositions of basaltic adzes from French Polynesia

Description: Using high precision liquid chromatography - mass spectrometry (LC-MS) techniques, I have measured and compared Pb and Sr isotopic compositions between adzes (archeological tools) from Tubuai island and rock samples collected in three different islands of French Polynesia (Eiao, Mangaia and Tubuai) to determine the provenance of the adzes and highlight potential inter-island trades.

Associated publication: Hermann A., Sauzéat L., Guillou H., Maury R.C., Chauvel C., Liorzou C., Conte E., 2017. Combined geochemical and geochronological analyses of stone artefacts provide unambiguous evidence of intra- and inter-island interactions in Polynesia. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports 13, 75–87

Postdoctoral Project (June 2018 - June 2019)

Title: Intracellular selenium speciation in low-concentrated biological samples

Description: In this project I worked on the development of a multi-step method involving microwave-assisted cell disruption combined with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry to analyze intracellular speciation of Se in low-concentrated biological samples.

Scientific communication: Béziat P., Bouchet S., Sauzéat L., Tolu J., Alcolombri U., Winkel L., 2019. The role of phytoplankton in marine selenium cycling. Goldschmidt 2019

PhD Project (April 2015 - April 2018)

Title: Ageing and neurodegenerative diseases: New constraints

from the metallomic

Description:

I used chemical and Cu-Zn isotopic compositions of various biological

samples such as mice organs, human cerebrospinal fluids and cell cultures

to study ageing and neurodegenerative diseases development. Special attention was paid to the high-precision isotopic analysis of Cu and Zn necessitating robust sample preparation procedures and analytical techniques (i.e. liquid chromatography – mass spectrometry (LC-MS)).

In the case of collaborations, I also analyze the chemical and Cu-Zn isotopic compositions of corals to better understand how climate changes affect coral lifespan.

Associated publication:

Sauzéat L., Laurençon A., Balter V., Metallome evolution in ageing C.elegans and a copper stable isotope perspective; Metallomics 10, 496-503
Garçon M., Sauzéat L., Carlson R.W., Shirey S.B., Simon M., Balter V., Boyet M., 2017. Nitrile, Latex, Neoprene and Vinyl Gloves: A Primary Source of Contamination for Trace Element and Zn Isotopic Analyses in Geological and Biological Samples. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research 41, 367–380.
Ferrier-Pagès C., Sauzéat L., Balter V., Coral bleaching is linked to the capacity of the animal host to supply essential metals to the symbionts; Global Change Biology 00, 1-13
Morel JD*, Sauzéat L*, Goeminne L.J.E., Jha P., Williams E., Houtkooper R.H., Aebersold R., Auwer J., Balter V., The mouse metallomic landscape of aging and metabolism. Nat Commun. 2022;13(1):607. doi:10.1038/s41467-022-28060-x. *First author.
Sauzéat L., Bernard E., Perret-Liaudet A., Quadrio I., Vighetto A., Krolak-Salmon P., Broussolle E., Leblanc P., Balter V., Isotopic evidence for disrupted copper metabolism incerebrospinal fluids of ALS patients; submitted to Science advances

Master Project (1st year) (January 2013 - June 2013)

Title: How kimberlites form : clues from olivine geochemistry

Description: We have conducted petrological studies and microprobe analyses along several profiles in a dunitic polycristalline nodule from a very well preserved kimberlite from Kangamiut in Greenland in the aim to understand how kimberlites form.

Associated publication: Cordier C., Sauzéat L., Arndt N.T., Boullier A.-M., Batanova V., Barou F., 2015. Metasomatism of the Lithospheric Mantle Immediately Precedes Kimberlite Eruption: New Evidence from Olivine Composition and Microstructures. Journal of Petrology 56, 1775–1796

Postdoctoral Fellow (PI, Jan 2020 - Oct 2021)

Title: Volcanic risk & Health

Description: Metallome deregulation & Health disorders induced by artificial volcanic particles exposure: A proof-of-concept study

Associated publication:

Sauzéat L., Eychenne J., Gurioli L., et al., Metallome deregulation and health-related impacts due to long-term exposure to recent volcanic ash deposits: New chemical and isotopic insights; Sc. of Tot. Env., 2022, 829, 154383, doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154383

Master Project (2nd year) (January 2014 - January 2015)

Title: New perspectives on the Li isotopic composition of the upper continental crust (UCC) and its weathering signature

Description: Loess deposits are windblown sediments produced by mechanical erosion and thus experienced little chemical weathering during their formation. These features allow loess deposits to be considered as excellent proxies for the average UCC composition. Based on these information, we focus on desert loess deposits from several part of the world to better constrain the lithium composition of the UCC and provide supplementary information on its weathering intensity through time.

Associated publication: Sauzéat L., Rudnick R., Chauvel C., Garçon M., Tang M., 2015. New perspectives on the Li isotopic composition of the upper continental crust and its weathering signature. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 428, 181–192

Since October 2021

Current position

For more details

Scientific Activities & Institutional
Responsibilities

2025-2026 Member (2025) & Vice president (2026) of the inter-CSS scientific committee for IRD researcher competitive recruitment (application and oral interview)

2025 PhD Examinator – IPGP, Paris

Since 2025 Member of the International Medical Geology Association (IMGA) Early Career Researchers Network (IMGA ECR-Net) https://medicalgeology.org/about-imga/imga-working-group-on-early-career-researchers-network/

2023 & 2025 Member of the scientific evaluation committee « 2022 & 2024, une année avec le CNRS en Rhône Auvergne »

Since 2023 COJ’IRD young researcher’s representative member

2022 - 2026 Yearly member of the scientific and educational committee for the scientific festival ExpoScienceAuvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France (3days/year)

Since 2021 Communication manager at LMV (e.g., visits of the LMV ~10/year, intervention in schools ~2/year, LMV website (news) management, organization of scientific festivals: 4/year, support artist-in-residence, …)

2021-2022 Elected representative member for postdoctoral fellows at LMV

Since 2015 Reviewer for Earth Sciences and Interdisciplinary journals (~3/year)

Fellowships, awards & grants

2025 Grant for a 2-years interdisciplinary research project funding by the EC2CO CNRS program (12500€/year) (10% implication)

2025 IRD mobility grant (2 months) / international exchange - France/Peru (4k€ awarded)

2024 ANR JCJC "SINGULAR" – (PI) – 4 year-project, 371 686 € awarded

2024 Grant for a 3-years interdisciplinary PhD funding by the CAP 20-25 I-Site excellence program of University Clermont-Auvergne (122,000€ awarded) – lead PI

2024 IRD mobility grant (2 months) / international exchange - France/Peru (5k€ awarded) (PI)

2023 IRD grant for instrumental funding – Freeze dryer (20,000€ awarded) (PI)

2022 Interdisciplinary research grant for a collaborative research project funded by the CAP 20-25 I-Site excellence program, UCA (2 year-project: 62,000€) (50% implication)

2021 2 years postdoctoral research fellowship (PI) - IRD (Awarderd but declined).

2021 AXA Fellowship (PI) – 2-year project (140,000€ awarded but declined)

2020 2 years postdoctoral research fellowship (PI) from the CAP 20-25 I-Site excellence program of UCA, LMV/iGReD, Clermont-Fd, France (110,000€ awarded)

2019 European certification for animal experimentation (R-63UnivPASCAL-F1-09)

Teaching activities & supervision of students

2026 Lectures (1h) & Practicals (4h) on isotope metallomics for international students, Winter School “Volcanoes & Health”, UCA, Clermont-Ferrand.

2024-2025 Education, Training & Teaching on isotope metallomics (2months) for South collaborator (IRD mobility) – International exchange (Peru-France)

2022 Organization & participation to educational program “Life after a PhD: How to get jobs outside academia?” - LMV (UCA, Clermont-Fd) -1day

2018-2026 Supervision of 3 students in Master2, 1 student in Master1, 1 PhD student, 1 postdoctoral fellow & 1 engineer assistant (86% women)

Organisation of scientific events

2025 Host of IMGA ECR Webinar series (International Medical Geology Association, Early Career)

2025 Main session convener at the 2025 IAVCEI Scientific Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland (Theme: Volcanic hazard, Risk & Impact)

2022 Organization (co-PI) of an educational workshop on “Life after a PhD in Earth Sciences” – Clermont-Ferrand, France

2021 Organization of an interdisciplinary workshop on “Environmental contaminants and their effects on health”, (co-PI), Clermont-Ferrand, France

Outreach activities

2026 Conference/debate on “Women in Science” – Lycée Jeanne d’Arc, Clermont-Fd

2025 School intervention– Discovering the volcanoes (4 days). Chanonat, France

2025 Educational & pedagogical practicals (4h) for kids (6-7 years old) on the volcanism in Auvergne - “Ma chance Moi aussi” Association (Clermont-Fd)

2025 Radio interview (France Bleu Auvergne) – Health & Volcano, France

2021&2024 Public conference/scientific debate on « Volcanic Health Impact”, France

Since 2021 Yearly active member of the organizing committee of 3 scientific festivals « les Nuées Ardentes », “les Rencontres Montagnes et Sciences”, “Fête de la Science”

2019-2026 4 press releases (IRD le Mag’, INSB CNRS, COJ’IRD, iScience)